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Deerwood Elementary School

Every Day is Day One!

Parent Newsletter 9-29-25

Posted Date: 9/28/25 (10:00 AM)

Deerwood Elementary Challengers logo featuring a rocket ship blasting off.

Deerwood Elementary

Weekly Parent Newsletter

September 29, 2025
The entrance to Deerwood Elementary School under a covered walkway on a sunny day.
Mission Statement
Our mission at Deerwood Elementary School is to be steadfast in our commitment to working collaboratively to make our school the best school in Osceola County and beyond.
Our Vision
We will guarantee our Challenger community has the education they deserve by:

  • Creating a collaborative community that cultivates and empowers future leaders.
  • Meeting the needs of each diverse learner on their learning pathway.
  • Instilling confidence in all Challengers that they can innovate to become the best at what they choose.

At Deerwood, we R.I.S.E.
All Deerwood Challengers will RISE to achieve academic, behavioral, and social success. Together we will demonstrate Resilience, Integrity, Safety, and an Eagerness to Learn.
We are the Challengers, and we will RISE!
Behavioral Expectations
  • Resilience – Always bounce back and try your best when something gets hard.
  • Integrity – Be honest, and always do the right thing even when no one is watching.
  • Safety – Think before you speak, think before you act, and be aware of your body.
  • Eagerness to Learn – Put your best effort into your learning and get better each day.
 

School Reminders

A red stamp with the words 'IMPORTANT REMINDER' in white.
School Hours:
8:20 am - 3:15 pm
Wednesdays 7:50 - 2:15 pm
Student arrival: 7:50 - 8:20 am
Visitor Check-In:
  • All visitors must check in at the front office. A valid photo ID will be required for entry.
  • Visitors will receive a visitor sticker that must be worn at all times while on school premises.
Scheduled Appointments:
  • Whenever possible, please schedule appointments in advance to minimize wait times at the front entrance.
Student Drop-Off:
  • Student arrival is through our car rider or walker/bike gates only. All gates will close by 8:15 am. Parents and guardians dropping off or picking up students during school hours must do so through the main school entrance. Staff will be available to assist with the process.
  • Students will not be permitted to be dropped off in the front office area unless arriving tardy to school.
  • Students arriving after 8:20 am must be escorted to the front door by a parent/guardian for entry into the school.
Student Pick up:
  • Must provide a valid physical id such as an identification card, driver's license, or passport.
Rainy Day Dismissal:
  • During inclement weather, walkers and bike riders will be held until safe. Please come to the front office (park in parking lot) to pick up your child. Once the weather is cleared up, we will dismiss walkers/bikers as usual.
Breakfast:
  • All students are offered free breakfast from 7:50-8:20 am. Please arrive by 8:00 if you want your child to have breakfast as we do not want them to be late to class.
Cell Phone use:
  • Not permitted upon entry to campus.
Dress Code:
  • All students are expected to comply with our school dress code, regardless of grade level.
Parent Portal account:
  • All parents should have an account. The Parent Portal allows parents to better monitor their child’s progress in school by providing Internet access to grades, attendance, discipline academic history, graduation verification, and standardized test results in a secure password-protected environment.
ParentSquare:
  • Please join our school ParentSquare to stay connected and informed of school events and important notifications right to your phone.
PBIS:
  • The goal of PBIS is to create a safe, nurturing, and inclusive environment that promotes positive behavior, academic achievement, and social-emotional well-being for all individuals. Through evidence-based practices, collaboration, and targeted interventions, we seek to prevent challenging behaviors, strengthen social skills, and foster a culture of respect, responsibility, and support. Our ultimate goal is to empower individuals to become self-disciplined, confident, and successful contributors to their communities.
Classlink:
  • All students have access to multiple resources in Classlink to work on at home to strengthen their reading and math skills. If your child does not know their password, reach

Reading for Education

Four diverse children look down at the viewer with smiles, a call to action at the bottom.
Help our school get the essential tools our students and teachers need to succeed along with fun prizes your child will win just for helping us out!
Poster promoting 'Reading for Education' with a tree design and bookshelves.

ESOL Parent Meeting

October 3, 2025
A colorful flyer announces an ESOL Parent Meeting with date, time, and agenda.
A colorful flyer announces an ESOL parent meeting at Deerwood Elementary.

Picture Day

October 8, 2025
A school picture order form with various package options and add-ons.

Unity Day

October 22, 2025
Image promoting Unity Day, encouraging people to wear orange.
Unity Day, started by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center in October 2011, is the signature event of National Bullying Prevention Month. This is a day when we can come together to send a visible message of building commUNITY through kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. The call to action is simple: wear and share the color orange. This vibrant statement becomes a conversation starter, showing support for students who have been bullied and for bullying prevention.
A vibrant orange poster promoting Unity Day, with the text 'Unity Day' prominently displayed.
A poster for Unity Day, featuring orange text and a call to wear orange.

School Advisory Council

SAC

October 22, 2025
The School Advisory Council logo features colorful raised hands and the text 'Get Involved'.

What is SAC?

The School Advisory Council (SAC) is a school-based group intended to represent the school, the community, and those persons closest to the students that shares responsibility for supporting the school’s continuous improvement. The district school board is responsible, by Florida law, for establishing an advisory council for each school in the district and developing procedures for the election and appointment of advisory council members.

Our next SAC Meeting is scheduled on Wednesday, October 22 at 3:45 in the Media Center. Hope to see you there!
SAC Bylaws in English
SAC Bylaws Spanish

School Spirit Attire

A QR code with the text 'MY SCHOOL BUCKS' in a blue box.
Dear Deerwood Families,
We’re excited to announce that Deerwood Elementary School spirit clothing is now available online! 🎉
Support our school and show off your Challenger pride with a variety of customizable apparel including:
  • T-shirts
  • Hoodies
Whether you're a student, parent, staff member, or alumni, there's something for everyone.

Thank you for supporting our school community. Let’s wear our spirit proudly!
Image features school apparel with the Deerwood Elementary logo and rocket graphic.

STEAM Shirt for Sale

Promotional image for a STEAM t-shirt designed by a 5th grader, featuring a QR code to order.

Varsity Tutors

Free Learning Resource

Free tutoring resource for students

Our district has partnered with Varsity Tutors again this year to provide unlimited, live support from highly qualified tutors, self-study resources, and engaging extracurricular classes.

When students need help with homework or are struggling to solve a problem, they can immediately chat with a tutor, 24/7, to get the help they need. Students can take practice tests and follow personal lesson plans for guided self-study. They can also sign up for expert-led live classes, and learn subjects like Geometry, Middle School Math, Elementary School Reading and more. All students are enabled to access the Varsity Tutors platform via Classlink.

The comprehensive platform integrates interactive study tools, collaborative workspaces, and dynamic tutoring resources including:

  • 24/7 On-Demand Chat Tutoring
  • On-Demand Essay Review
  • Live Enrichment and Remediation Classes
  • SAT and ACT Test Prep Classes
  • Celebrity-Led StarCourse Classes
  • Self Study Resources
  • College & Career Readiness Resources
  • Adaptive Assessments & Personalized Learning Plans
  • Recorded Enrichment Classes

For more information go to: Osceola County School District

Welcome to Varsity Tutors
Bienvenidos a Varsity Tutors

Cell Phone Policy for Students

A sign with a red circle and slash over a cell phone, with the words 'No Cell Phone' below.
A student may possess a cell phone on Board property, on school transportation and at school activities, provided that during school hours, the cell phone is silenced and concealed and remains in the student’s bookbag or purse.

In part, HB1105 states as follows: A student may possess a wireless communications device while the student is on school property or in attendance at a school function; however, elementary student may not use a wireless communications device during the school day.

  • Students in the School District of Osceola County will not be permitted to use wireless communication devices (cell phones) upon entry to school campus.

  • Wireless communication devices include, but are not limited to, cell phones and/or auxiliary/ancillary devices such as smart watches and ear buds.

  • Violations of the cell phone policy will be handled in accordance with the Code and may result in confiscation of said device. If the cell phone is used in a criminal act (such as sexting as outlined in Florida Statutes and the Code), the cell phone will be provided to law enforcement and the student may face criminal penalties.

  • Students may not receive discipline if they use their cellphone and/or ancillary device(s) to monitor a health condition that is documented through medical records provided to the school including, but not limited to, an IEP, a Section 504 Plan or a Health Plan. Students who use an application on their cell phone to monitor medical conditions may use their personal device to do so, as prescribed, with school administration notification and notated previously in FOCUS.

It is understood that during school-wide emergencies (not drills), such as lockdowns, the cell phone policy will not be enforced. 

Attendance Matters!

Image promoting school attendance with colorful hands raised.

  • Stress the importance of attending school and being on time.
  • Stay in touch with your student's teachers.
  • Know the school’s attendance policy and the consequences for absences.
  • Upload attendance excuses directly into your child's portal or send to school.
  • 5-day for students that have been missing school will be sent home.
  • 5 tardies equals one unexcused absence.
  • Attendance will be monitored by administration, and district.
Attendance Matters @ DWES
Attendance Information
Informacion de Asistencia
Health Guidelines
 

DWES Dress Code Policy

The dress and grooming of SDOC students shall contribute to the health and safety of the individual, promote a positive educational environment, and not disrupt the educational activities and processes of the school. These standards of dress and grooming apply to all students in the public schools of Osceola County, unless a specific exemption is granted by the principal. Any request for an exemption shall be made to the principal.
To avoid any school dress code violations, start by being informed.
A dress code guide for Deerwood Elementary, titled 'Challengers Dress for Success'.
A dress code policy graphic with lists of acceptable and unacceptable clothing items.

Zones of Regulation

The Zones of Regulation helps children to manage difficult emotions, known as ‘self-regulation’. Self-regulation can go by many names such as ‘self-control’, ‘impulse management’ and ‘self-management’.
We want students at DWES to grow into successful teenagers and adults. Teaching students at a young age about managing their feelings will support them in later life so that they don’t turn to negative coping strategies which affect their mental and physical wellbeing.
We aim to help students to:
  • Recognize when they are in the different Zones and learn how to change or stay in the Zone they are in.
  • Increase their emotional vocabulary so they can explain how they are feeling.
  • Recognize when other people are in different Zones, thus developing better empathy.
  • Develop an insight into what might make them move into the different Zones.
  • Understand that emotions, sensory experiences (such as lack of sleep or hunger) and the environment might influence which Zone they are in.
  • Develop problem-solving skills and resilience.
  • Identify a range of calming and alerting strategies that support them (known as their personal ‘toolkit’).
An educational chart displays emotions with colorful characters and coping strategies.
Parent Guide of Zones
 

FortifyFl

Suspicious Activity Reporting App

FortifyFL is a suspicious activity reporting tool that allows the public to instantly relay information to appropriate law enforcement agencies and school officials. FortifyFL was created and funded by the 2018 Florida Legislature as part of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act. The application was named by students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The Office of Attorney General, Department of Education and Florida Department of Law Enforcement coordinated its development and roll-out.

Quick and Easy Safety Tip Submission

By accessing FortifyFL, students or parents can provide a description of the threat, share pics and videos and optionally submit their contact information.

The FortifyFL app can be located in Classlink.

Screenshot of the FortifyFL app, a suspicious activity reporting tool.

Upcoming Events

9/29 - Boy Scouts Visit
9/30 - 5th Environmental Center Trip
9/30 - Boy Scouts Sign Up @ 6pm
10/1 - Bullying Prevention Month
10/3 - ESOL Parent Meeting @ 9am
10/8 - Picture Day
10/10 - End of Quarter 1
10/13 - Teacher Workday/Student Holiday
10/14 - Quarter 2 begins
10/22 - Unity Day - Wear Orange!
10/22 - OASIS Volunteer Orientation @ 2:45
10/22 - SAC meeting @ 3:45
10/24 - Report Cards go home
10/27 - 5th grade Orlando Philharmonic FT
10/31 - Character Day Parade
Example calendar with dates pinned
Deerwood Elementary banner with text: Highest Learning Gains across Osceola Elementary Schools, 2025.

Contact Information

Deerwood Elementary Challengers logo featuring a rocket ship blasting off.
Deerwood Elementary School

Location: 3701 Marigold Avenue
Phone: (407) 870-2400